DETAILED ACTION
This Action is responsive to the communication filed on 05/21/2024.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Claim Objections
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 16 recites, in part: “through the finto terminate” (emphasis added). It appears that the claim should recite: through the fin to terminate. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ko (US 2021/0335670).
Regarding claim 1, Ko (see, e.g., FIG. 6, FIG. 14, FIG. 16B) discloses a method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure, comprising:
forming a fin structure 24 on a substrate 20 (Para 0014; see FIG. 6);
forming two trench isolations 22 on the substrate 20 such that the two trench isolations 22 are formed at two opposite sides of the fin structure 24 (Para 0015; see also FIG. 6);
forming dummy structures 30 over the fin structure 24 and the two trench isolations 22 so that the fin structure 24 has exposed portions which are exposed from the dummy structures 30, and which are disposed to alternate with the dummy structures 30, each of the dummy structures 30 including a dummy gate 34 (Para 0019; FIG. 6);
forming source/drain portions 42 respectively in the exposed portions of the fin structure 24 (Para 0022);
forming a trench e.g., trench that is filled with 54, 70A which penetrates through the dummy gate 34 of a selected one of the dummy structures 30 and through the fin structure 24 to terminate at the substrate 20 (Para 0028, Para 0031, Para 0042-Para 0043; FIG. 14, FIG. 16B); and
forming an isolation structure 54, 70A in the trench e.g., trench that is filled with 54, 70A, the isolation structure 54, 70A including an upper portion 70A and a lower portion 54 which extends from the upper portion 70A into the substrate 20, the upper portion 70A (e.g., SiN) and the lower portion 54 (e.g., SiO.sub.2) being made of different materials, an atomic percentage of nitrogen in the lower portion 54 (e.g., SiO.sub.2) being less than 1% (Para 0031, Para 0042-Para 0043).
Regarding claim 2, Ko (see, e.g., FIG. 6, FIG. 14, FIG. 16B) teaches the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower portion 54 includes an air gap, silicon oxide, or carbon-doped silicon oxide, and the upper portion 70A includes silicon nitride (Para 0031, Para 0042-Para 0043).
Regarding claim 3, Ko (see, e.g., FIG. 6, FIG. 14, FIG. 16B) teaches the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein formation of the lower portion 54 includes forming the lower portion 54 in the trench e.g., trench that is filled with 54, 70A such that an upper surface e.g., upper surface of 54 of the lower portion 54 is at a level which is not lower than a level of upper surfaces e.g., upper surfaces of 22 of the trench isolations 22 and which is not higher than an upper surface e.g., upper surfaces of 24 of the fin structure 24, and forming the upper portion 70A on the lower portion 54 to fill the trench e.g., trench that is filled with 54, 70A (Para 0031, Para 0042-Para 0043).
Regarding claim 4, Ko (see, e.g., FIG. 6, FIG. 14, FIG. 16B) teaches the method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the upper portion 70A is formed after formation of the lower portion 54 (Para 0031, Para 0042-Para 0043).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wu (US 2023/0377943).
Regarding claim 12, Wu (see, e.g., FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 21) discloses a method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure, comprising:
forming a fin structure 204, 205 on a substrate 202, the fin structure 204, 205 including a fin 205 and a stack 204 disposed on the fin 205, the stack 204 including first layers 206 and second layers 208 that are disposed to alternate with the first layers 208, the first layers 206 being made of a first semiconductor material e.g., SiGe, the second layers 208 being made of a second semiconductor material e.g., GeSn that is different from the first semiconductor material e.g., SiGe (Para 0016);
forming dummy structures 212a-212c over the fin structure 204, 205 so that the fin structure 204, 205 has exposed portions which are exposed from the dummy structures 212a-212c and which are disposed to alternate with the dummy structures 212a-212c, each of the dummy structures 212a-212c including a dummy gate e.g., dummy gate electrode (Para 0018);
forming source/drain portions 218 respectively in the exposed portions of the fin structure 204, 205 so that the stack 204 is patterned into stacking portions e.g., stacking portions of 204 (206, 208) which are respectively located beneath the dummy gates e.g., dummy gate electrode (Para 0020);
forming a trench 232 which penetrates through the dummy gate e.g., dummy gate electrode of 212b of a selected one of the dummy structures 212a-212c, through a corresponding lower one of the stacking portions e.g., stacking portions of 204 (206, 208) beneath 212b and through the fin 205 to terminate at the substrate 202 (Para 0023; see also FIG. 7); and
forming an isolation structure 214, 235’, 236, 270 in the trench 232, the isolation structure 214, 235’, 236, 270 including an upper portion 214, 270 and a lower portion 235’, 236 which extends from the upper portion 214, 270 into the substrate 202, the upper portion 214 (e.g., silicon oxycarbide), 270 (e.g., SiN) and the lower portion 235’ (e.g., SiO.sub.2), 236 (seam: void) being made of different materials, an atomic percentage of nitrogen in the lower portion 235’ (e.g., SiO.sub.2) being less than 1% (Para 0019, Para 0026, Para 0040).
Claims 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin (US 2023/0411493).
Regarding claim 18, Lin (see, e.g., FIG. 20B, FIG. 23B) discloses a semiconductor structure, comprising:
a substrate 20 (Para 0016);
a fin 31 (20’, 22’) disposed on the substrate 20 (Para 0023, Para 0029);
a first transistor 92, 60 (e.g., left of 86) disposed on a first part of the fin 31 (20’, 22’), and including a first source/drain portion 60 (e.g., left of 86) (Para 0042, Para 0070);
a second transistor 92, 60 (e.g., right of 86) disposed on a second part of the fin 31 (20’, 22’), and including a second source/drain 60 (e.g., right of 86) (Para 0042, Para 0070); and
an isolation structure 86 (78, 80) disposed between the first transistor 92, 60 (e.g., left of 86) and the second transistor 92, 60 (e.g., right of 86), and including a lower portion 78 formed in the fin 31 (20’, 22’) and the substrate 20, and an upper portion 80 formed on the lower portion 78 and between the first source/drain portion 60 (e.g., left of 86) and the second source/drain portion 60 (e.g., right of 86), the upper portion 80 (e.g., SiN) and the lower portion 78 (e.g., SiO.sub.2) being made of different materials, an atomic percentage of nitrogen in the lower portion 78 (e.g., SiO.sub.2) being less than 1% (Para 0067-Para 0068).
Regarding claim 19, Lin (see, e.g., FIG. 20B, FIG. 23B) teaches the semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 18, wherein the lower portion 78 (e.g., SiO.sub.2) includes an air gap, silicon oxide, or carbon-doped silicon oxide, and the upper portion 80 (e.g., SiN) includes silicon nitride (Para 0067).
Regarding claim 20, Lin (see, e.g., FIG. 20B, FIG. 23B) teaches the semiconductor structure as claimed in claim 19, wherein the upper portion 80 (e.g., SiN) is separated from the fin 31 (20’, 22’).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-11 and 13-17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/ANTONIO B CRITE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2817
Prosecution Insights